Ray Goggins is swapping the regimented world of his Ultimate Hell Week for something more left field as his new series Uncharted with Ray Goggins launches this week. He tells John Byrne all about it.
Lyra and Leo Varadkar climbing a mountain in South Africa together wasn't something I thought I’d live to see - but come next Wednesday and it’s going to be as real as can be on TV.
The singer and former Taoiseach are among nine well-known faces who took the challenge offered them by participating in a show that whisks them away from their comfort zone and into some of the world’s toughest environments.
They’re obviously either stone mad or desperate for TV time - but what I’d really like to know is: who are the celebs that turned down the opportunity to risk life, limb and all credibility with Ray Goggins?
After all, who in their right mind would willingly take on extreme outdoor expeditions through some of the most remote and treacherous environments on Earth?
There must be an easier way to get youtr mug on the telly than by signing up for Uncharted with Ray Goggins. This is tough.
Each week, Ray challenges a well-known pairing with a physically and mentally demanding adventure, designed to push each participant to their limits, with Leo and Lyra first up.
They travel with Ray to the wild, untamed mountains of Drakensberg, South Africa. The unlikely trio sleep in caves, scale gigantic peaks, and climb sheer rock faces as they make their way to the top of one of the tallest waterfalls on the planet, Tugela Falls.
A part of me can’t wait to see if Leo has the heart of a lion, or if Lyra is 'excirah and delirah’ to sleep in caves while scaling ridiculous heights on treacherous terrain. Rather them than me and all of that.
As for the genesis of this show, Ray recalls: "It was something that myself and Jamie Dalton - the executive producer - spoke about over the last couple of years.
"Maybe, off the back of Hell Week, we discussed an idea about bringing people off, finding people who’d be up for it, maybe interested in doing something like that. It kind of grew from there."
Imagine being a fly on the wall of Diffusion Media, the people behind Uncharted with Ray Goggins, as they drew up a hit list and started making calls. It must have been tough getting a list of positives, but they got there in the end.
Ray wasn't part of the selection process. "The production company looks after all of that," he says. "At the end of the day, it doesn’t bother me who arrives." For him, it’s all about the getting the job done.
And it’s as much a test for him as it is for the participants.
"It’s different to Hell Week, which is very structured - you either make it or you don’t. And if you don’t make it, you’re gone. With this, it’s a case of getting people through it as best you can.
"Instead of booting them in the arse, I have to be a bit more diplomatic - which was a challenge for me."
Sounds like Ray might have had to bite his tongue on the odd occasion, but he insists otherwise. "I actually enjoyed it because I got to be a bit more human with people," he says.
"At the end of the day, I was as immersed in the challenges as they were. It wasn't the case of me being the man on the ditch with my hands in my pockets. I’m carrying the same kit - or even more kit, in some cases.
"I’m pulling and dragging, I’m working as hard, if not harder at times. It’s good for me," he adds.
Those of a cynical nature might be assuming at this stage that there was a monumental amount of pre-trip preparation involving Ray and the participants. Who else would be better at getting them ready for mountain climbs and the like?
Not a bit of it.
"They saw me when they saw me on the ground," he says when asked about working beforehand with Leo, Lyra and the like. "Before that, they got guidance from the production company. They had a rough idea. They were provided with kit, equipment and all that kind of stuff.
"To be fair, with the athletes [the likes of Paralympian Ellen Keane feature in later episodes], they're top of the range. And to be fair to the musicians {Kneecap are also participating] and the politician, they were relatively fit. It was very challenging physically but that probably wasn’t the most important part of it."
Yep. You've guessed it. The highest mountain, the greatest challenge, the ultimate arbiter, is that little voice in your head. We all know it’s there - but some inner voices are louder than others.
"It’s like that saying: 85% mindset, 15% skillset," says Ray. "That’s what the whole challenge is about. You take people out of their normal routine and put them in a challenge where - it is a very simple life, it became very simple. It’s like, eat, sleep, work and that’s it.
"There's no social media, there’s no going to meetings. You just get out of your sleeping bag in the morning, you face the day and get the challenge done. The biggest thing to look forward to, maybe, is getting a fire lit that night and getting some hot food into you. And getting some sleep.
"It makes things very, very simple."
One of the greatest challenges for the participants isn’t just what’s in front of them, it’s also what’s not there at all: the trappings of modern life that we all embrace to one extent or another.
I mean, imagine going an entire day without a mobile phone? No wi-fi?
"The first day or two, it’s like withdrawal symptoms," Ray says. "You’re kicking and jerking and moaning. At different levels they embrace it. Some people will embrace it quicker than others. It depends on what your norm is.
"In fairness, all of them brought their best effort - which is all I wanted. All I wanted to do was to bring them into an environment where they could just connect with other people, in a very positive way.
"You can get to stage in a challenge where you feel completely out of your depth, thinking: what do I need to do? You need to lean on the people you’re working with.
"Even with myself, I had to lean on the team because - sure, I’m there to challenge them, but I don’t want to be doing all the work. Pulling and dragging, like being their dad."
Uncharted with Ray Goggins begins with Leo Varadkar and Lyra's adventure on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Wednesday, May 14 at 9.35pm.
